Knife construction.



PATENTED MAY 26, 1903 W. GARMAN.

I KNIFE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

luuemfoz Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CARMAN, OF NAPANOCH, NEW YORK.

KNIFE CONSTRUCTION.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,861, dated. 26,-1903.

Application filed November 4,1902. Serial No. 130,090. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CARMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Napanoch, in the county of Ulster and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife Construction;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to knife construction, and more particularly topocket-knives; and it consists of certain novel features of combinationand construction of parts, the preferred form or materializat-ionwhereof will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of .thisapplication.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a simple attachment foran ordinary pocket-knife or the handle of a carving or other form ofknife which will be found useful for a variety of purposes, inasmuch asit is desirable and efficient as a measuring instrument and alsosubserves the purpose of a screw-driver, saw, 850.

Other objects and ad vantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary penknifeprovided with my invention and showing the same in an extended position.Fig. 2 is a detail view showing my attachment and its receiving-casing.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my attachment removed. Fig. 4 is a sideview showing another form of my invention. Fig. 5 shows the attachmentpresented in Fig. 4 separated from the handle, while Fig. 6 is across-section of Fig. 4 on line 0c 00.

In order to conveniently designate all of the details of my inventionand the cooperating accessories, numerals will be employed, the samenumeral referring to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates a handle of aknife of the usual or any preferred construction, which is provided insaid instance with a pair of blades 2 and with corresponding mainsprings4 and 5 and also with the division-plate 6. (More fully shown in Fig.2.) This division-plate 6 not only serves the purpose of separating thetwo blades of'the knife from each other, as is common, but it is alsoprovided at its outer end, or that end opposite the pivot-point of theblades, with the longitudinally-disposed slotted opening 7, designed toform a seat for the reception of the graduated shank 8 of my attachment,it being understood that one or both sides of said shank may be properlygraduated, so as to fit it as an accurate measuring instrument. Byproviding the properly-located apertures 9 in the division-platesuitable rivets may be passed through the handle, thereby holding theseveral parts in reliable union and cooperation with each other. Theouter end of the division-plate 6 is shortened, so as to be of lessextent or reach than the handle proper, thereby providing the recess 10,into which is adapted to snugly fit the cross-head 11, carried by thegraduated shank 8, thereby insuring that when said shank and its headare moved home within the handle the outer surface of said head 11 willbe left flush with the end of the handle, and thereby preserve thecontour of said end and also preserve the beauty of finish andappearance thereof. It will be understood that the extended ends of theT- shaped head will prove useful for a variety of purposes, as forreaching or hooking over objects which the user may readily directtoward him.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the inner end oft-heshank 8 is provided with a preferably V-shaped recess 12, extendingsharply into the end of 'the shank, and these ends thus formed may besprung slightly apart, if desired, so as to insure that only the extremeinner bifurcated end of the shank will frictioually engage thecontiguous edges of the slot 7. It will also be observed by reference toFigs. 2 and 3 that I have provided for one of the branches of thebifurcated inner end of the shank 8 an in-.

tegral extension or lug 13, which is adapted to engage the shoulder oroffset 14:, formed upon one of the edges of the slot 7, thereby insuringthat the shank 8 cannot be casually entirely withdrawn, thoughpermitting said shank to be removed by a downward pressure upon theouter end, which will bring the spring-like terminals slightly towardeach other sufficiently to permit the extension 13 to ride over theshoulder 14. The V-shaped elongated recess 12 also serves the usefulpurpose in enabling the attachment to be readily seated in its operativeposition when it is desired to assemble the parts together.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I have shown aslightlymodified form ofconstruction, wherein it will be observed that the shank (designated insaid views by the numeral 15) is provided at its inner end with thelateral extension or finger 16, Which is designed to engage a contiguouspart of the casing, and thereby prevent a casual withdrawal of the shankfrom its seat in the handle. By reference to Fig. 6 it will be observedthat the inner corners of the mainspring 4 and 5 are cutaway, so as toprovide a suitable recess adapted to receive the edge of the shank 15,while the inner half of the division-plate 17 is entirely removed, andsince the end of the knife is properly removed for the reception of theshank 15 the latter may be readily forced home within the handle,leaving the outer edge 11 entirely flush with the handle proper.

It will be obvious that various modifications and changes may be made inthe formation of the cooperating parts without departing from the spiritof my invention, and I therefore desire to comprehend in thisapplication all possible substitutes and equiva- 1ents.

I preferin most instances to form the shank of hardened steel, and itwill therefore be found that one of the uuserrated edges being leftangular will form a most excellent scraper whereby the surface of anobject may be smoothed down and polished,'as will be readily understood.

While I have enumerated a variety of purposes for which my improvedknife attachment will be found desirable and efficient, it will beunderstood that it will be useful for the performance of other offices.

My attachment may be made of any preferred material deemed most suitablefor the purpose and made a permanent part of the knife-handle, ashereinbefore described and illustrated.

Believing that the advantages and manner of making and using my improvedattachment have thus been made clearly apparent, further description isdeemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The herein -described attachment for knife-handles, comprising thecombination with the handle proper of a division-plate having alongitudinal seat therein; a shoulder formed upon the lower edge of saidseat; a shank adapted to move longitudinally within said seat, and meanscarried by said shank adapted to lie in the path of and engage the saidshoulder whereby the shank cannot be casually slipped out of place, asset forth.

2. The herein-described attachment for knife-handles comprising thecombination with the handle proper having a suitable sea-t providedtherein, ot' a shank located in said seat, the said shank having itsinner end bifurcated; a T-like head upon its outer end;

a lug located at the inner end of said shank adapted to engage ashoulder upon the lower face of the said seat whereby the shank cannotbe casually slipped out of place substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described attachment for knife-handles, comprising thecombination with the handle proper, of a division-plate having alongitudinal seat therein; a shoulder formed near the outer end of saidseat; a shank adapted to occupy said seat; means carried by said shankwhereby casual displacement of said shank is prevented, said shankhaving its inner end bifurcated and slightly sprung open whereby thesaid bifurcated end may be drawn together while being inserted in saidseat and adapted to spring apart when released thereby forcing saidretainingmeans into the path of said shoulder substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CARMAN. [1. 8.]

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. ECKERT, IRVINGE. CARMAN.

